Battery terminal connecter



March 15, 1938. R J ROBERTS 2,110,918

BATTERY TERM INAL CONNECTER Filed Nov. 4. 1955 I N V EN TOR. fieese 1306c? M /Z/WW/ Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES OFFICE,

Glaims. (01. 173-259 Other objects of the invention will be brought This invention relates to a terminal connecter and pertains particularly to a connecter of the type employed for attachment of a cable or the like to a post or terminal of the type commonly 5 employed in storage batteries, although in certain respects the invention is applicable to connecting means in general.

One of the particular objects of the invention is to provide a connecter device adapted to embrace a terminal of circular cross-section and to be brought into forcible engagement therewith in an attaching operation. and to be forcibly disengaged therefrom in a detaching operation.

A further object of the device is to provide a connecter having a relatively fixed portion adapted to embrace approximately one-half of the periphery of a terminal of circular cross-section and a relatively movable portion which may be forcibly moved into and out of engagement with in attaching and detaching operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a terminal connecter which occupies a minimum of space in a direction transverse to the length of the cable with which it is associated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connecter which may be attached and detached from a terminal without the use of tools and which is operable between detached and attached positions in a quickly executed movement. A further object of the invention is to provide a battery post connecter which may be removed or attached without subjecting the battery post to undue strains which ordinarily result in loosening the battery post, with consequent loss of electrolyte et cetera.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having a portion adapted to embrace a portion of the periphcry of a deformable connecter such as a battery post and provided with deforming means adapted to penetrate and deform such post in an attaching operation, but which can be fully separated from said post and any produced deformations,

therein in a detaching operation. v p

The device of the present invention comprises, essentially, a relatively fixed member provided with an elongated slot having a surface adapted to engage a portion of the periphery of a terrelatively movable portion adapted to be brought into and out of forcible clamping engagement with another portion of the periphery of such terminal whereby such terminal is clamped beclamping position.

another portion of the periphery of said terminal minal with which the device is to be associated, a

ber I, a relatively movable clamping member 2,,

and an operating lever! pivotally mounted on v the body member 2 as at 4. Abattery terminal is shown at 5;.-.ha ving a normal circular crosssection and being tapered upwardly, and the body member I and the clamping member 2 are provided with-oppositely disposed internal faces 8 and 1 of ,such shape as to conform to the surface configuration of said terminal. While conforming to the surface of the terminal 5, said I faces 6 and 1 are preferably of such dimensions that neither will-encompass more than half the circumference of such terminal, the purpose whereof being more fully brought out in connection with the description of the operation of the device. r

The clamping member 2 is provided with a lug portion 2a slidably mounted in a recess 8 in the body member], and the operating lever 3 is preferably pivotally mounted to the body member I within said recess, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, and a further recess is preferablyprovided in the body member I as at 9 within which the handle portion 3a of the lever 3 may be parof said leverengages a shoulder, i2 onthe clam s ing member 2 andforces said member toward the left so as to tightly engage the terminal 5 between the;aforementioned opposing faces 6 and I.

When thelever l is forcibly raised into the position shown .in; Fig. 3, the'clamping member-2 is moved toward the right by engagement ofthe heel p01fiOn1QL0f said lever with a shoulder i4 onsaid clamping member, thus forcibly moving the faces .6 and I apart and releasing one or the otherof said facesyfrom the terminal 5, permitting the en'tirejdevice to be easily removed from 6 and 1 do not'encompass more than one-half of the peripheral-face of said terminal, whereby the device may be forced manually out of engagementvwith saidterminal to releasethe face which did not release upon forcible movementv of the members with respect to the face 6.

l I further preferably provide at least one of the clamping surfaces, such as the surface of the member I, with a plurality of inwardly projecting portions l5, which may be conveniently formed by deeply center-punching the said face 6 at aplurality of points thereon so as to produce relatively large craters, the raised marginal portions of which form said projections I5. As the clamping member 2 is brought into clamping relation to the terminal 5, 'the projections will be forced into said terminalin view of the fact that such terminals are normally formed of an easily deformable material such as battery lead. As an alternative, such inwardly projecting portions may be provided on the clamping face 1 or on each of the faces 6 and 1. In any case, when such projections are employed, the device should be so designed as to provide a sufficient stroke of the movable clamping member 2 to remove said projections from engagement with the terminal, when the lever is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3.= It will be appreciated that such projections are not feasible on a conventional type of battery connecter in view of the very small relative movement of the portions thereof with respect to' one another, which would make it impossiblet'to disengage such projections from the terminal once they were imbedded therein.

The body member I may be connected to a cable or other conductor in any suitable manncr as by soldering or otherwise-securing the same at the end of the cable within a suitable recess IS; The several portions of the device may be formed as castings or forgings of bronze or other suitable material whi'chis fairly resistant to attack by battery acids, and the pivot pin provided at 4 may also be formed of hard drawn bronze wire or the like, whereby electrolytic corrosion thereof will be reduced to a minimum. If desired, however, said pivot pin may'be made of non-metallic material, such as hard wood, the pin being in any case made of sufllcient size to resist the stress imposed thereon in movement of the leverto clamping position.

In the particular form of device herein delineated, the member 2 is shown as movable upwardly with respect to the body member in the clamping operation, which upward movement will cause a slight sliding movement thereof along the terminal 5, which sliding movement serves to scrape any adhering film of" oxide or the like which may coat the terminal, thus insuring a better electrical connection thereof to said terminal, but it will be appreciated that it is not essential that this relative'vertical movement be produced. The stroke of the lever 3 is obviously limited, wherefor the clamping and unclamping movement of the member 2 is limited.- The degree of forcible engagement of thefaces 6 and 1 with the terminal Sjwill depend, therefore, upon the extent to which the device is forced downwardly on the tapered'terminal, and it has been found quite satisfactory, with terminals of the conventional taper of about 5,

to merely drop the device into loose placement on the terminal, and take up the slack by movement of the lever 3 into'clamping position.

Iclaim:

1. A connecter means for a battery terminal,

which comprises: a body member provided with an internal face adapted to engage aportion of the periphery of a battery terminal; a clamping member disposed within a recess in said body member at the side thereof opposite said face, provided with an inwardly directed terminalengaging face disposed opposite said first-named face, said clamping member being slidably movable inwardly and outwardly from said face within said recess; lever means pivotally secured to said body member and having an inner end portion and a heel portion respectively cooperatingwith shoulder means provided on said clamping member to forcibly engage said clamping member to move the same into and out of clamping position upon movement of said lever means.

2. A connecter means for a battery terminal, which comprises: a body member provided with an elongated slot having a terminal-engaging face at one end thereof adapted to engage a portion of a battery terminal; a relatively movable clamping member slidably disposed within said slot at a position removed from said face and providing a relatively movable terminal-engaging face directed toward and spaced from said first-named face; lever means pivotally secured to said body member within said slot in position to engage said movable clamping member and move the same toward and away from said firstnamed face in clamping and unclamping operation respectively.

3. A connecter means for a battery terminal, which comprises: a body member provided with an elongated slot having a terminal-engaging face atone end thereof adapted to engage a portion of a battery terminal; a relatively movable clamping member slidably disposed within said slot at a. position removed from said face and providing a relatively movable terminal-engaging face directed toward and spaced from said firstnamed face; lever means pivotally secured to said body member through the agency of pivot means extending across said slot, said lever means having an inner end portion and a heel portion respectively cooperating with shoulder means provided on said clamping member to move the same into and out of clamping position upon movement of said lever means.

4. A connecter means for a battery terminal, which comprises: a body member provided with an elongated slot having a terminal-engaging face at one end thereof adapted to engage a portion of a battery terminal; a relatively movable clamping member slidably disposed within said slot at a position removed from said face and providing a relatively movable terminal-engaging face directed toward and spaced from said first-named face; lever means having a handle portion adjacent one end and an inner end portion and heel portion adJacent the other end thereof; pivot means extending across said slot and through said lever means to pivotally secure said lever means within said slot, said inner end portion and heel portion respectively cooperating with shoulder means provided on said clamping member to move the same into and out of clamping position upon manual operation of said handle means.

5 A device as set forth in claim 4 and further comprising a recess in the upper surface of said body member communicating with said slot at the other end thereof and adapted to receive said handle portion of said lever means when said clamping member is in clamping position. 

